Q&A with Philip Anklin

Previously, I was spending 50 to 60 percent of my time working with existing clients, including relationship management, new projects, upselling, cross-selling, etc. That didn’t leave as much time for focusing on client acquisition. In this new role, my team and I are 100 percent focused on business development — new clients, and new partnerships.

We approach client acquisition through multiple channels. The Fides brand is well-known and highly regarded within Switzerland already, so we get inbound traffic through our existing network, our partners, word of mouth and of course our website from contacts who have Googled us. We recently initiated a Google AdWords campaign, and are already seeing quite a bit of traction with that. So we’ll definitely be expanding those digital efforts.

Our second largest channel is referrals from partners, either direct or indirect. We also get quite a bit of repeat business, as treasurers change companies they often want to bring Fides into their new organization. And then of course there’s outbound sales, where we use LinkedIn or other platforms to look for prospects, do some cold calling, etc. That’s one area I want to increase, as while it is a lot of work, there is a lot of untapped opportunity there. I also want to build up our library of webinars, informational videos, and additional resources for prospective clients and partners.

There are three types of providers in the multibanking space: ERP/TMS providers, banks that offer multibanking services, or independent multibanking providers like Fides. Clients typically will look at all of these options. One of the biggest advantages of Fides is that we are system agnostic and bank agnostic. So regardless of what kind of system or systems the client is using, we can connect to them, and any banks they are working with or want to work with.

We have no geographic restrictions or technical limitations — we can connect to all banks worldwide. That global reach is especially attractive to multinational organizations, as is our affiliation with Credit Suisse. That also allows us to offer a dual-BIC approach for SWIFT connectivity, eliminating the need for our clients to obtain their own corporate BIC unless that’s something they want to do. It streamlines the process for them, so they don’t have to have the resources or spend the time on assessments and certification. We take care of all that. We check the payments. We do sanction screening. We are independently operated, but still follow the same strict regulations and policies as a Swiss bank, which inspires trust. And we’ve been in business for more than a century.

Common issues are related to using local banks, banking portals, the development work needed to make their systems compatible with bank specifications, the complexity of user management, and sign-off rules, all of which are different from bank to bank. They are looking for a centralized solution that is secure and easy to use. And that’s Fides.

TMS providers typically approach us because bank connectivity isn’t their core competency. They’re the experts in their systems and functionality, but they need a way for it to work with all the various banks. A TMS is reliant upon the data flowing to and from banks. We collect that data, and send payment initiations to the banks in a simple and secure way, with a variety of connectivity options to choose from, including host-to-host, SWIFT, EBICS, and APIs. In short, partnering with Fides allows them to expand their global reach and make bank connectivity much simpler for their staff and their customers.

One potential area for growth is increasing our collaboration with Credit Suisse and more tightly integrating our complementary offerings. We’ve already launched several initiatives for Credit Suisse relationship managers to enable them to inform their clients about Fides’ capabilities. And of course it’s not just Credit Suisse we’re focused on — any system provider with a need for simplified bank connectivity is a good fit to partner with Fides. Having dedicated resources makes it easier to dive deep into discovering potential benefits of partnerships with other companies.

For me, success is having clients be happy after project implementation and go-live. That means taking a holistic approach. I want to really understand their pain points, their current setup, and their needs, and provide them with a tailor-made solution which perfectly matches those needs. Our core values at Fides include customer service, honesty, and transparency. We deliver on our promises. If the clients feels comfortable, confident, well-advised, and justified in the trust they place in Fides, that’s for me personally a success.

Fides is the world leader in multibank connectivity, payments and transaction communications. A market leader for more than a century, Fides is committed to the principles of Open Banking, making treasury and financial operations as efficient, transparent and secure as possible for all organizations.

Fides provides everything organizations need for efficient cash and liquidity management, all through a single platform — along with connectivity to more than 13,000 financial institutions through an unmatched range of methods and channels. Thousands of companies around the globe rely on Fides’ connectivity capabilities and comprehensive workflow, reporting, conversion, validation and security services, for their own businesses and for extending services to their clients.

Whether you access via the secure Fides Multibanking Suite or take advantage of our seamless integration with third-party ERP, TMS and other backend systems, Fides is the only platform you need.